Automatic piano.



F. F. STAUFFER. AUTOMATIC PIANO.

APIPLIGATION'FILED MAY 31, 1910.

11,000,561. Patented Aug. 15,1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

' Y INVEN IOR F H l: Floyd F fitauffer ATTORNEY WITNESSES:

F. P. STAUFFER.

AUTOMATIC PIANO.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 31, 1910.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTOR WITNESSES I smuf er ATTORNEY F. F. STAUFFER.

AUTOMATIC PIANO. APPLICATION FILED MAY 31 1910.

1,000,561. Patented Aug. 15, 1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WiTNESSES:

INVENTOR Floyd fistaufl'er ATTORNEY P. P. STAUPPER.

AUTOMATIC PIANO.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 31, 1010.

Patented Aug. 15, 1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

1 1 \ggg INVENTOR Floyd F5iaufier WITNESSES:

./ ATTORNEY music will be constant.

the piano action.

from one reel to the other,

FLOYD .F. s'mnrrnn, 01

DALLAS, TEXAS,

ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T WILLIAM J.

, GLYNN, 0F DALLAS, TEXAS.

' v AUTOMATIC PIANO.

iinproven'ients in automatic pianos, and has for its object the production of an increased playing capacity, and the reduction of the playing mechanism to a more compact form, means also being provided to regulate the velocity of operation so that the time of the The last named means is more particularly described and claimed in the applicants co-pending ap plication filed May 31st,1910 under Serial Number 564,154.

in the modern automatic piano it has been the practice-to mount a perforatedtraveling controller sheetupon a pair of reels, said controller sheet acting in conjunction with an apcrtured tracker-board connected by air conduits with pneuinatics which operate In such cases, the conadapted to be wound slowly while playing and to be rapidly rewound when the controller sheethas reached its limit of travel. Such an apparatus is objectionable, owing to the wear and strain upon the controller sheet and other .parts during the rapid r winding, alsoth ere must be an interruption in the music while this rewinding takes place. Other previous forms of automatic pianos have employed an endless controller troll er sheet is sheet. This has eliminated the necessity of rewinding, and the delay incident thereto,

but the length of such a sheet, and consequently the playing capacity of the piano must be limited since the sheet cannot be compactly wound upon rollers. The capacity of the tirstdescribcd sheets which are adapted to rewind is also limited since a long controller sheet cannot be used without a large variation taking place in the velocityof travel of said sheetas it winds from one reel upon the other. j

The present invention proposes'to avoid these objectionable features by providing two separate controller sheets, one of which will be rewonnd while the other is unwind ing.

The invention also provides automatic Specification of Letters Patent. Patentgd A110; 15 19 [1, Application filed. May 31, 1910. Serial at. 564,153.

mechanism for regulating the velocity of travel of each controller sheet and for reversing the direction of travel of the two controller sheets when they have finished winding or re-n inding. l

The invention has for its object finally to provide a device of the character above (le scribed which will be simple and etlicient. and comparatively easy to construct and one which will not be likely to get out of workmg order.

lVith' these and various other objectsin view, my invention has relation to certain novel features of construction and operation an example of which is described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings. wherein:

Figure 1 1s a transverse vertical sectional scribed apparatus installed therewithin. Fig. 2 18 a. front view of the operatingmechanisin of the piano consisting of the two controller sheets, the means for rotating the same and regulating their velocity, and the conncctions from the tracker-boards to the pneuma-tics. Fig. 3 is a rear view of the same apparatus. Fig. 4 is a side elevation ofthe frame in which the reels with their driving gears and pulleys are mounted showing the manner ofthe driving of the reels from an electric motor. Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken on the line ;r-a of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view taken ofthe line -"fI g of Fig. 2 show.- ing the -mechanism by which the velocity of the reels is gradually varied to compensate for the change in velocity of the traveling controller sheet.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings wherein likenumerals of reference designate similar parts in all the figures, thc numeral. 1 denotes the piano wires and Y tlie various parts composing the piano action or striking mechanism.

A set of piano keys adapted to operate the piano action in the usual manner by manual displacement is denoted by the numeral 3, and a set of pneumatics adapted to accomplish the same purpose through automatic means is denoted by the numeral t. The pneumatics are connected with the action-by vertical rods 5 and each of them has interior connection with an air exhaust duct (3. I

' above described are old in the The parts elevation of a piano showing the herein deiii " ment of the bar ll).

art, but are specified and shown in order to make clear their connection with the novel -ap1' aratus hereinafter described.

In the lowerportion of the piano casing there are mounted two traveling controller sheets 7 and 8, one above the other. The upper controllersheet 7 is mounted upon a pair of reels 9 fast upon shafts 10 and 11 respectively. The lower sheet is mounted upon a pair of reels 12 fast upon shafts 13' and 14 respectively. These controller sheets are of the usual perforated construction and they are adapted to act in conjunctionwith apertured tracker .boards 15 and 16 respectively. From the apertures of these tracker-boards there extend a plurality of flexible air conduits 17 which commnrncate with two parallel rows of apertures in a bar 13. A bar 19 provided with asingle row of apertures is'adapted to be vertically adjusted upon the bar 18, the apertures of said bar being adapted to communicate with either row of apertures in the bar 13 according to the position of adjust- In order to hold the bar 19 firmly against the bar 18 so that air tightcommunication maybe established between the' apertures of the two bars, a pair of springs 20 are made to bearagainst the bar 19 at each extremity thereof.

From each of the apertures of the bar 19 a flexible air conduit 21 extendsto one of the pneumatics at, having interior communication with the same. The vertical adjustment of the bar 19 is accomplished through means of a pneumatic adapted to be alternately operated from the two controller sheets in the following manner. An arm- 22 extending vertically from the center of the last named bar has its upper extremity pivotally secured to one extremity of a pivoted lever 23, the other extremity of which is connected by a link 241- with the ad justable center plate of a double pneumatic 25 whose upper and lower plates are stationary. Said pneumatic communicates through a tube 26 with the air exhaust duct (3. An air conduit 27 extending from said pneumatic to the lower tracker-board 16 is adapted in conjunction with said tracker-board and the controller sheet 8 to actuate the lower half of the double pneum'a tic25" An-" other air conduit 28 extends from said 'pneumatic to the tracker-board 15 and acts in coniunction' with the same and with the controller sheet 7 to actuate the upper half of the pneumatic 25. Perforations are provided in the controller sheets at the end of the music thereupon which perforations are adapted to cross the'apertures 1n the trackerboards with which apertures the tubes 27 and 28 communicate, thus permitting air to be drawn into oneof said tubes and producing a displacement of one-half of the double pneumatic-Q5. This results in a vertical adjustment of the bar 19 thus cutting oit' communication of the pneumatics 4: with one of the tracker boards and placing them in communication with the other.

Upon the shafts 11 and 13 are mounted gears 25) each of which meshes with an idler gear 30. Upon each of the shafts 10 and 14 are mounted gears 31. Between each of the gears 29 and 31 a inion 32 is mounted upon ashaft 33. The shafts 33 are each rotatably mounted in frames 3% pivoted upon shafts 35. Means hereinafter described are provided by which the frames 34 may be made to undergo a slight pivotal motion about the shafts suflicient to throw the gears into mesh with e-ither'the gears 30 or the gears 31. In the former case the lower drum 2) will drive the upper one, and the upper drum 12 will drive the lower one,

and in the latter case, the upper drum 9 will drive the lower one, and the lower drum l2 drive the' upper one; The shaft 33 carries a cone pulley 36 and the shaft carries a cone pulley 37 oppositely positioned to the cone pulley A. belt 38'is mounted upon each pair of pulleys 3(3 and 37 and is adapted to undergo gradual transverse displacen'ient upon the same. To accomplish this displacement, flanged pulleys 39 are made to engage the belts 38, the lower pulley being mounted upon the underside of the lower belt 38 and the upper pulley on the upper side of the upper belt 38. These pulleys are mounted in brackets 10 extendmg integrally from collars 4:1 threaded upon feed screws 42. In order to hold the pulleys 39 firmly in contact With their respective belts 38 the upper and lower frames 34: are connected by rods 43, between the extremities of which rods a coiled spring 44.-

is interposed. A downward tension is thus exerted upon the upper frame 3% and an upward tension upon the lower frame 34,

causing the pulleys 39 to press firmly against their respective belts. 4 Upon each of the feed\screws 42 a star wheel 45 is rigidly mounted. Each of thesestar wheels is adapted to be engaged by a'p'in 46 upon the adjacent gear 31. It is thus apparent that once during each revolution of '-'the gears 31 the pins 46 actuate the star wheels 45 and the feed screws 42 through a partial revolution causing the parts 38, 39, 40 and 41 to undergo. a slighttransverse motion. The cone pulleys 37 are each driven by sheaves 17. Rotation is imparted to the sheaves through an endless cord l8 passing over pulleys 49 and driven by a pulley 50 upon a motor shaft 51. -As previously 8X'\ la'ined one of the controller sheets 7 and is adapted to be rewinding and inactive as regards its function for producing music, which the other sheet is unwinding and acting in conjunction with the neumatics, etc., to operate the piano action.

A mechanism has been provided to auto-. matically throw the driving gears of the rewinding spools out of mesh when the'controller sheet thereupon'has been rewound,

and further mechanisms have been provided k to cause this same sheet to begin unwinding producing music as soon as the other sheet ias finished playing, this latter mechavn'ism also serving to produce a reversal of 10 the direction of rotation of the drums of the sheet that has been unwinding-or producing music. In order to interrupt the travel of either controller sheet when it has com: pleted rewinding, a perforation is provided i'neach controller sheet at the beginning of the music perforations thereupon. Each of said perforations at the beginning of the music on the controller sheets is adapted to cross an aperture in the tracker-board of said sheet, which aperture is connected by an air conduit with a pneumatic adapted to throw one of the gears 32 out of mesh with the gears which it drives. The pneumatic which operates for this purpose in conjunction with the upper controller sheet is designated by the numeral 52 and is connected with the tracker-board of said controller sheet by an air conduit 53. A pneumatic 54: is adapted to perform the same function for the lower controller sheet and is connected withThe tracker-board of said sheet by an a1r conduit 0o. In order to produce the necessary suction within these pneumatics, an air conduit 56 is extendedfronnthe air duct 6 and is connected with each" of the pneumatics 52 and 54L by air conduits 57. Each of the neumatics 52 and 54 is connected by a rod 58, with one of the frames 34. Owing to the tension in the spring 44 which causes the upper pulley 39 to actdownward and the lower pulley 39 to act upward, the frames 3% are normally deflected toward each other causing the pinions 32 to mesh" with the gears 80, but when either of the sheets 7 or 8 have finished rewinding, one of the pneumatics will be compressed by the means above described suificiently to'throw the corresponding gear 32 out of mesh with the gear 30, but not sufiiciently to throw it 9 into meslr with the gear 81. Rotation will thus cease to be communicated to said sheet which will remain stationary until the other sheet has finished unwinding or producing music. r

55 A mechanism has already been described by which a pneumatic 25 isactuated when either sheet finishes unwinding,'- which mechanism causes the shifting of a bar 19. At one extremity of this bar is an aperture- 58* which has connection through an air conduit 59, and said aperture in the bar 19 .is adapted to? communicate with either of the two apertures in the bar 18, according to the position of the vertical adjustment of said bar'l9. From each'of the apertures in the bar 18 an airconduit 60 extends to a v pneumatic 61, one of these pneumatics being positioned adjacent to the pneumatic 52 and the other adjacent 'to the pneumatic 54:. Each of the pneumatics 61 is connected by a rod (52 with one of theframes 3s. Thus, when either of the controller sheets finishes unwinding causing the operation of the pneumatic 25 and the shifting of the bar 19, a compression of one of the Pneumatics 61 .results and an expansion of the other pneumatic (31. The controller sheet which was stationary is thus started unwinding and the direction of travel of the sheet which was imwindingis reversed, causing it to begin rewinding.

It is obvious that various changes may be;

made in the form and proportion of the parts and details of construction of the above described device without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the advantages of the same and L-therefore, reserve the right to make such changes and alterations in said device as fairly come within the scope ofthe following claims.

\Vhat 1 claim is:

1. In an automatic piano, the combination with the strings and action thereof, of

two-perforated traveling controller sheets,

from the apertures of the last named bar to the pneumatics controlling the action, and a pneumatic adapted to produce adjustment of said bar, operated from the controller sheets.

2. In an automatic piano, the combination with the strings and action thereof of two perforated traveling controller sheets, reels upon which the extremities of said sheets are mounted, an apertured trackerboard acting in conjunction with each sheet, a plurality of neumatics actuating the piano action, a bar 'irovided with two paral-lel rows of ape1'tures,-air conduits connecting the apertures of each row with one said reelsmay he gradually varied, mechanisms'a dapted to interrupt the rotation of the reels ofteach sheet, vpneumatics controlling said mechanisms, operated by said shee'ts, mechanism adapted to reverse the directions of travel of the controller sheets, and pncumatics controlling said mechanism operated from the controller sheets.

3. In ,an automatic piano, -the .combina tion-withthe strings and action thereof, oftwo perforated traveling controller sheets, reels upon which the extremities of said sheets are mounted, an "apertu'red tracker board acting inconj unction with each sheet, a plurality of neumaticsactuating the name actipma bar-provided. with two parallel rows of apertures, air conduits connecting the apertures of each row with one of the tracker-boards, a shift bar provided with a .row of apertures. which may be 7 alined by adjustment of the shift bar with either row of apertures upon the aforesaid bar, air conduits connecting the aperturesof the shiftbar'with the pneumatics oper' ating the-piano action, a pneumatic by which the adjustment of the shift bar is accomplished, ,said pneumatic being actuated'by the controller sheets, mechanisms 'adapted to reverse the directions of travel of the controller sheets, and pneumatics controlling saidmechanisms' actuated from the controller sheets.

I tion with the strings andaction thereof of,

" (1opies of this patentma'y be obtained for five cents -each, by addressingthe Commissioner otI-Patentl two perforated traveling controller sheets,

,reels upon which the extremities of the sheets are, mounted, an apertured trackerboard acting in conjunction with each sheet, a plurality of-pneurnatics actuating the piano action, a stationary bar with two parallel rows of apertures, air condu ts connecting theapertures of each row with one of-th, tracker-boards, a shift bar provided bar, air conduits connecting the apertures of the shift bar with the pneumatics actuating the piano action, a pneumatic by which the adjustment of the shiftibar :is

' accomplished, said pneumati'cs being actuated by the controller sheets, mechanisms adapted to interrupt the rotation of the .reels of each sheet, and neumatics control-- ling said mekzh-anismactuated by said sheets. 5. In an" automatlc piano, thecombination with the strings and action thereof, of

a perforated traveling controller sheet, reels upon which the extremities of said sheet are mounted, -means\actuated by said controller sheets operating the piano action, a pivotally mounted'frame, a pair of cone pulleys oppositely mounted in said frame, one of said pulleys being positionedat'the pivotal-axes of the frame, a belt carried by said pulleys, a feed screw mounted adjacent to said frameparallel to the aims of the 'pulleys, a belt shipper mounted on said feed I screw-acting on said belt, a mechanism'comrmunicating, an intermittent rotation to the feed screw, a pinion carried by the shaft of the cone pulley mounted in 'the'freeend of the adjustable frame, two trains of gearing operating the two reels of the controller sheet respectively, and a pneumaticoper-- ated .by the controller sheet by which the pivoted frame may be adjusted-to throwsaid pinion into mesh with either tranipf In testimony whereof havesigned my name to this specification in the presence of 'two subscribing witnesses. 1",

FLOYD F. STAUFFER.

gearing.

Witnesses:

J. S. MURRAY,

B. I. THERREL.

Washington, '1 c," j 

